Ship of Dreams
by santeria
Summary: It’s 1912 and there’s a new ship sailing on the ocean: the R.M.S. Titanic. Lily Evans boards the ship as a firstclass passenger, as does her betrothed James Potter and his best friend Sirius Black. Meanwhile, Remus Lupin...Full summary inside
1. Tickets to Freedom

**Summary: **It's 1912 and there's a new ship sailing on the ocean: the _R.M.S. Titanic_. Lily Evans boards the ship as a first-class passenger, as does her betrothed James Potter and his best friend Sirius Black. Meanwhile, Remus Lupin and Severus Snape languish in third class. When the two groups meet and befriend each other, societal subcultures clash, internal battles are wrought, and numerous pranks are played on unsuspecting and unprepared first-class passengers. But no one is prepared for the iceberg that looms ahead...

**Author Note:** I've decided that Lily, Sirius, etc. do not have magical powers in this fic, because if the _Titanic_ had wizards on board they wouldn't very well have let it sink, would they? Due to this, Remus does not have lycanthropy, but he is, shall we say, sickly.

**Pairings**: Lily/James

...oo0oo...

**Chapter 1:**

**Tickets to Freedom**

Remus Lupin could hardly believe his luck as he stared at the ticket clutched in his hand. This very ticket would allow him, of all people, to board the luxury ocean liner the Titanic, which would launch its maiden voyage in a few days' time. Granted, Remus would only be in third-class, but that was better than being stuck here in London, working odd jobs whenever he could and scavenging food.

"Right luck, that was," absently murmured Severus Snape, who also held a ticket in one thin hand. Remus tore his eyes from the piece of paper that he held to look up at his friend, and Severus immediately masked his shock and shoved his ticket into the pocket of his ratty, black jacket. Remus grinned goofily at the other boy.

"We're going to _America_!"

A thin smile twisted its way onto Severus' sallow face, and the two seventeen-year-old boys stood up and made their way toward the bartender. Remus flipped a banknote onto the counter and ordered drinks for himself, Severus, and for all five of the men seated at the table that he and Severus had just vacated. The barman, Sully, knew that both boys were underage, but gave them the tankards anyway. In his lowly opinion, those boys deserved to celebrate. After all, they had just won a card game in which the prize was two tickets to freedom. As the two boys carried the tankards back to the table, Remus looked to Severus. "Tip the man, Sev. I've only got three pounds left." Severus rolled his eyes, dug deep into his pockets, and pulled out a six-pence piece that he tossed to Sully, who swiped the coin off the counter and nodded in thanks.

The tankards were distributed among the five men, and all five raised their tankards in toast. "To Remus and Sev!" "To the _Titanic_!" "To all those bloody swankers in first-class! May you nick enough money from them to live comfortably in the land of opportunity!" The men laughed and threw back their beer.

Their cabin on the ship was small, with plain white walls, a toilet and a washbasin, and two bunk beds. Severus immediately claimed the bottom bed, so Remus clambered onto the top bunk and lay down to rest. The trip to Southampton had been tiring, and he still had a slight hangover left from their "celebration." Both boys had managed to pack all of their earthly possessions into two tatty suitcases, which Severus tucked under his bottom bunk before lying down to sleep.

Both slept peacefully in spite of the groaning and creaking of the massive ship and the distant cheers of the crowds above as the ship left the dock (years of street life had ensured that they could sleep anywhere, no matter how noisy or crowded), and when Remus awoke a couple of hours later he saw that the other bunk bed had been occupied by a family of five, with the three children (two boys and a girl, all of whom looked under ten years old) sitting on the bottom bunk and the two parents sharing the top one. Remus hopped down off his bed, and the mother, who was apparently not asleep after all, sat up and smiled down at him. He held up his hand and introduced himself, then pointed to Severus and told the woman his name as well. The woman clasped his hand and started talking in rapid Italian, gesturing wildly with her free hand to her husband and children.

"_La non di incontrare il signore. Sono Catherine e questo è il mio Pietro di marito. Il mio più giovane ragazzo è Federigo, la ragazza è nominato il Marina, ed il ragazzo di__il più vecchio, lí è alla sinistra, è chiamato Francesco._"

She stopped talking, released Remus' hand, and beamed at him. Remus blinked.

"Right. Nice to, eh, meet you, then... Ma'am."

He turned back to his own bed, and heard Severus, who was facing the wall, mutter "Wanker." Remus glanced at the family, then leaned towards the other boys and hissed at him, "Oh, sod off, Severus. Just because _you_ can't stand children--"

"You're damn right I can't," Severus rolled over and eyed the three Italian children suspiciously. "Bloody little terrors, they are."

Remus rolled his eyes, grabbed his shabby brown jacket, and slipped it over his frail frame while turning to leave the cabin so he could go and explore the ship.

...oo0oo...

"Miss Lily, be a dear and carry this for me?" Mrs. Rush didn't wait for an answer before thrusting the bulky hatbox into the arms of Lily Evans, who forced her voice into politeness as she said, "Of course, Mrs. Rush."

Lily was one of those girls who just seemed to have everything: looks, talent, money, a handsome fiancé, and now a ticket for the _Titanic_. Unfortunately, Lily would have to stay near Mrs. Rush for the entire journey, as she was Cornelia Rush's "traveling companion." Not only that, but the only reason Lily had been allowed to be a companion was because the Potters had announced their intention to board the Titanic and move to America (they had offered to buy Lily a ticket, but Lily's parents had declined the offer because they felt that it would be like accepting charity), and James Potter (_arrogant toerag)_ was Lily's fiancé– it was a marriage of convenience, of course, so it really didn't matter to Lily's parents that their daughter hated the guy. To make matter even worse (and this was enough to make Lily want to kill herself), Sirius Black, who was James Potter's best friend and who was also and idiotic git, would also be coming along for the ride..._Maybe once I get to New York I can ditch them. I hear that women in America are allowed lots of independence_...

Lily followed closely behind Mrs. Rush, holding tightly to the hatbox as they meandered through the thick crowd and onto the gangway that led them to B-Deck.

The cabin, to Lily's relief and delight, was quite comfortable, with soft carpets and large, cushy beds laden with pillows.

"Er, Mrs. Rush? Where would you like me to put–?" Lily raised the hatbox, but Mrs. Rush was not paying the least attention to her as she bustled around trying to find her best shawl. Josephine, the maid, wordlessly took the hatbox and left Lily standing there, feeling exceedingly stupid and unsure of what to do next. _What does one do on such a ship anyway?_

"Come, Miss Lily, let us go up to the Boat Deck."

"Great," muttered Lily drily as she smoothed her green satin dress and followed the older woman out of the room.

The Boat Deck was suffocatingly crowded, and Lily managed to lose Mrs. Rush and to fight her way towards the white metal railing. She peered over the edge and her breath caught in her throat; the people on the docks looked positively _tiny_. An earsplitting sound suddenly pierced the air, making Lily jump– the steam whistles were blowing, the ship was about to depart. Lily actually shuddered with excitement as the steam whistles screamed and the ship shuddered to life, and the crowds, both on the docks and on the ship decks, cheered loudly. People were screaming and waving handkerchiefs and throwing flowers of all sorts down to the mass of well-wishers standing on the docks. Lily raised her hand and waved it madly around. She knew no one in the crowd, but it felt so exhilarating to wave goodbye to all those cheering, crying, smiling people below. They waved back at her, their faces alight, as the ship dragged itself slowly away from land.

Some of the cheers morphed into screams as a sharp, cracking sound reverberated through the air. Lily stared down to see a small ship floating away from the docks and heading straight towards the _Titanic_.

_Oh, bugger, we're going to crash!_ She waved her hands at the smaller ship. "No! Turn around! Don't hit us!" She groaned. The_ Titanic_ couldn't crash, it simply couldn't! How would she get to New York and run away from James Potter if it did? A tugboat appeared in the water and helped steer the smaller ship away from the large ocean liner, and Lily sighed with relief.

"Miss Lily, there you are! You gave me quite a fright! Come away from that railing, are you mad? You'll fall in the water!" A sinking feeling filled Lily's stomach; Mrs. Rush had found her.

This was going to be a long voyage.

...oo0oo...

James Potter could not care less about the crowds, or about the fact that he was on the grandest ocean liner ever, or that someone had stepped on his shoe and scuffed the perfect black polish. No, James Potter cared, at the moment, cared about only one thing: finding Lily Evans.Lovely Lily Evans, his fiancée, his Lilyflower, his love, his– "_What the hell?!?_"

"Sorry, mate," Sirius Black smirked at his friend. "But you had that disturbing, Lily-induced look in your eyes. I had to get you out of it somehow!"

James glared. "Next time, could you _not_ punch me in the bloody stomach? Bleeding Christ, that _hurt_."

Mrs.Potter's voice floated through the air. "James, darling, don't swear. It's so very unbecoming for a gentleman to swear."

"Yes, mother," James muttered in a bored tone, while Sirius sniggered.

By this time, the crowds were thinning, and James rose to his toes and started scanning the boat deck for Lily's vivid red hair, but was distracted by Sirius elbowing him in the ribs. "Let's go find the kitchens, I'm hungry."

"Don't be a dolt, dinner's in a couple of hours."

Sirius raised an eyebrow in a_ So what?_ kind of way, and James glanced back toward the crowd. Upon not seeing Lily. He shrugged, ran a hand through his messy black hair, and turned back to Sirius.

"Yeah, let's go. There's nothing to do here, and I have to go to the loo anyway."

The two boys ducked back inside and began the search for the kitchens, ready to make mischief.


	2. Rich Boy's Realization

**Summary:** It's 1912 and there's a new ship sailing on the ocean: the R.M.S. Titanic. Lily Evans boards the ship as a first-class passenger, as does her betrothed James Potter and his best friend Sirius Black. Meanwhile, Remus Lupin and Severus Snape languish in third class. When the two groups meet and befriend each other, societal subcultures clash, internal battles are wrought, and numerous pranks are played on unsuspecting and unprepared first-class passengers. But no one is prepared for the iceberg that looms ahead... Currently, we're on when Lily, James, and Sirius first meet Remus.

...oo0oo...

**Chapter 2:**

**The Rich Boy's Realization**

Lily sighed quietly and poked at her food, none of which looked particularly appetizing at the moment. But that was probably just because Mrs. Rush, who was sitting directly across from Lily, was jabbering on about something-or-other, and James Potter and Sirius Black were only a couple of tables away and Potter had been eyeing Lily for the better part of an hour (he stopped when she made a subtle yet threatening gesture toward him with her salad fork), and the pale blue dress that she had put on for dinner felt far too constricting.

"Miss Lily, sit up straight. And do not poke your food so!" Mrs. Rush's voice snapped through Lily's self-pitying thoughts, and the red-headed teenager quickly but wordlessly complied with the instructions given her. _I hate her. No, I take that back. I loathe her. Loathe her beyond loathing. Despise her with a capital D._ When the woman looked away, Lily slouched again in her seat and continued poking her food.

Several hours later, after helping Mrs. Rush prepare for sleep, Lily pulled on a thin coat and asked for permission to go for a stroll on the Promenade. After convincing the woman that she could walk without the help of Josephine, Lily stepped out of the room and immediately pulled out the comb that held her hair up. The red waves fell, liberated, past her shoulders, and she stowed the comb in her coat pocket before proceeding to the second-uppermost deck.

The night sky was beautiful. The ship was already many miles from land, so there were no lights to obscure the sky and the stars were shining brighter than Lily had ever seen them. Well-dressed couples sidled past her, a few of them stopping to recline on chairs placed strategically nearby. Lily walked down the Promenade and toward the back of the ship, where the deck was devoid of people. She leaned over the railing and looked down at the water. It looked so calm and black, eerily so, and she shuddered and pulled back. A nearby door opened and shut quietly behind her and Lily whirled around to see who had invaded her private moment, and she was ready to give the intruder a piece of her mind.

She stopped short when she saw him. He had light brown hair that flopped carelessly over his face, his clothes were shabby yet worn in a dignified way. He was thin, she noticed, far too thin. His skin had a sickly pallor to it, and a scar ran vertically across his left cheek. But the thing that really surprised Lily was his eyes. They were a warm brown and they held a mischievous gleam that Lily had only ever seen in the eyes of James Potter and Sirius Black.

The boy (for he did look to young to really be considered a man) looked startled. Lily flushed, realizing that she had been staring at him. "Sorry," she muttered at the same time he did. His lips twitched a bit, and it took Lily a moment to realize that she too was smiling awkwardly. His eyes moved from her face and he looked at her dress and raised an eyebrow. Lily felt a sudden surge of anger. Was he checking her out? Did he find something about her dress amusing? As she opened her mouth to interrogate him, he started to speak. His voice had a soothing quality to it, although his accent was thicker and broader than hers.

"This is the steerage part of the Promenade."

Lily blushed again, embarrassed. "Oh. Sorry. I- I didn't know."

He smiled crookedly and shrugged as if he didn't really care whether she left or not. Just then, a horridly familiar voice rang through the still night air.

"Lily!"

_Bloody hell_. How on earth had Potter managed to find her? She groaned audibly as Potter and Black appeared, their faces pink from running, their black hair mussed, and their ties askew. The boy (who was obviously from steerage) looked affronted by this new development and ready to slip back inside to wherever he had come from. Before he could so much as take a step, however, Potter and Black had spotted him. Lily couldn't help but feel sorry for him as Potter seized the boy's hand and shook it, while enthusiastically saying, "Hi! I'm James Potter and this is Sirius Black and I see that you've already met the lovely Lily Evans. So, who are you?"

Lily felt a sudden guilt about not introducing herself properly earlier. The boy hesitated before muttering "Remus Lupin."

"Remus? Wicked name," Black nodded approvingly, and Remus visibly relaxed. Potter chose that moment to casually sling his arm around Lily's shoulders; she glared at him and shrugged his arm off. Remus saw this and looked curiously at them, but Black didn't notice as he was too busy questioning whether Remus knew where the kitchens or the boiler room were. Remus affirmed that he did know, much to James' and Sirius' delight. They immediately demanded that he show them where to go.

Lily glanced at James' watch and realized that she should probably be getting back to her room now. When she looked up she saw Remus looking pleadingly at her as Potter and Black started jostling him inside. Lily gave him a helpless sort of look as she turned to leave; she felt bad for leaving him to deal with the two other boys by himself, but she had to leave now, and besides, better him than her.

...oo0oo...

He had been hoping for a relaxing walk on the boat deck, that was all. Yet here he was, walking along with two first-class boys who had seemingly endless energy and didn't give a damn that they were with the kind of person who was usually considered dodgy at best by every other first-class person on the ship.

Why had he told them that he knew where the kitchens and the boiler room were, anyway? There had been nothing preventing him from saying "No." Still, they seemed friendly enough, if a bit rough.

Currently they were on their way to the boiler room, because that was where the two other boys had wanted to go first, probably because of the fact that there was fire down there. Remus wasn't sure whether or not it was wise to trust them in the presence of fire, but it was easier just to go along with them. They wove their way through the passages of G-Deck, dodging other steerage passengers, all of whom gave James and Sirius strange looks. Remus didn't blame them– the two boys' clothes were rumpled and their hair messy, but in an aristocratic sort of way. James kept running his hand through his hair, and Sirius stuck his hand and walked casually behind James, sending the occasional cheeky, suggestive grin to any pretty girl that squeezed past them in the narrow corridor.

They arrived at the Orlop Deck and marched into a boiler room. The room was sweltering, packed with sweaty, muscular, red-faced men heaving shovels full of coal into monstrous furnaces. Sirius stared. "Wow. I didn't know that they had actual _people _working down here." A few of the stokers nearby glared at Sirius, and Remus glanced apologetically at them before leading the two boys toward the exit door. As they went he explained that the stokers worked down here because it was a job that gave them a free trip to America.

"But isn't that a bit...desperate?" asked James, who was looking at a teenaged boy who was wiping his forehead with a sweat-sodden sleeve before picking up his coal shovel again. "I mean, surely they can find some way to pay for ship tickets. _You _did, and so did lots of other people."

They stepped out of the boiler room and into a corridor. "I didn't pay for my ticket," Remus blurted out. James and Sirius stared and Remus mentally cursed himself. "I won it in a card game," he quickly amended his earlier statement, and the two black-haired boys instantly looked awed. Remus decided that it would probably be best to change the subject now, and the first thing that popped into his mind was the red-headed girl.

"So, where did Lily go?"

James' face lit up, but Sirius groaned and turned to Remus. "Why did you do that? Now he'll never stop talking."

"I don't know where she went exactly, because I don't know her room number– Sirius, remind me to get that– but she probably went to bed for her beauty rest. Not that she needs it, she's always beautiful. Didn't she look great tonight? I really liked that blue dress she was in, it looked perfect on her. You know, she's really nice and smart and just generally a great person–"

"They're engaged," Sirius smirked. "And Lily doesn't really want to marry him."

"You're wrong, Sirius. She loves me, how could she not? She just doesn't know it yet."

"Sure, mate."

"What do you think, Remmy? You think she fancies me?"

James looked hopefully at Remus, who cringed at the nickname and wondered how he was supposed to know if Lily fancied James. After all, he'd only just met these people. He remembered Lily pushing James away earlier, but decided that the best route right now would be to lie.

"I think so."

James looked vindicated .

Somehow, the boys had ended up standing in front of the door to Remus' cabin. He groped for the door handle while saying "We can look for the kitchens tomorrow" then slipped into the room and shut the door quickly so that the other two wouldn't be able to see inside the cramped little cabin. The light was off but in the darkness Remus could make out the sleeping Italian family and a lump on the bottom bunk that could only be Severus. He quietly flung his jacket off and took off his shoes, then climbed up to his bed and lay awake, listening to the grinding of the engines.

...oo0oo...

James couldn't sleep. "Sirius. Hey, Siri! You awake?"

Sirius snorted and rolled over without waking up. James rolled his eyes and pulled his blankets tighter around him, trying to fall asleep.

He couldn't do it. He kept thinking about the men in the boiler room. They worked all night in a harsh and dangerous environment, while everyone else on the ship got to sleep. It wasn't fair. Just because they didn't have enough money to buy a ticket...He wondered if he could ever feel desperate enough to take such a job, and had a sudden vision of himself shoveling coal into a fifteen-foot tall furnace, his face illuminated by flame and his hair sticking to his sweat-slicked face. He shuddered. It that ever happened he'd probably freak out after a day and throw himself into the furnace.

He thought of Remus. Would Remus ever take such a job? He probably would, but then again, the guy was so thin that he probably wasn't strong enough to lift a single shovelful of coal.

He wondered what the third-class cabins looked like. Remus had shut the door too quickly for him to see, and it had been dark inside the room anyway. The corridors on the lower decks had seemed narrower and plainer than the ones where the staterooms and suites were, so the rooms probably were too. James pulled his pillow closer to him, thinking of the unfairness of it all, and shut his eyes.

Before he drifted off to sleep, he made a silent vow to get to know Remus better. When he finally did fall asleep, his dreams were of Lily, in a blue dress with her hair blowing behind her like fire.


	3. The Avengers

**Summary: **It's 1912 and there's a new ship sailing on the ocean: the R.M.S. Titanic. Lily Evans boards the ship as a first-class passenger, as does her betrothed James Potter and his best friend Sirius Black. Meanwhile, Remus Lupin and Severus Snape languish in third class. When the two groups meet and befriend each other, societal subcultures clash, internal battles are wrought, and numerous pranks are played on unsuspecting and unprepared first-class passengers. But no one is prepared for the iceberg that looms ahead... Currently, Lily, James, and Sirius have just met Remus, and are becoming close friends and pranksters.

**...oo0oo...**

**Chapter 3:**

**The Avengers**

One thing Remus had never imagined himself doing was eating dinner in a fancy parlour where everyone was swathed in silks and furs, and where each person used about five different forks for each course. Yet, here he was, suffocating in a stiff black suit he had borrowed from Sirius, and eating fish in the first-class dining room. So far he had earned quite a few strange looks, but a couple of glares from James and Sirius had intimidated everyone into silent acceptance of the strange boy now sitting at their table.

The two black-haired boys were seated on either side of Remus, while Lily sat a couple of tables away. The redhead, Remus had discovered, was not nearly as outgoing and friendly as the boys, though she had gotten to the point where she would smile at Remus in acknowledgement whenever they happened to cross paths. Which was fairly often, considering that now the majority of Remus' time was spent with James and Sirius, a fact that greatly irked Severus, who had never met the two boys but still considered them "idiotic, arrogant, bloody dunderheads."

A sharp pain shot through Remus' side– James had elbowed him rather hard. He turned to see the bespectacled boy staring in Lily's direction, eyes narrowed and mouth twisted into a scowl.

"Bastard," James muttered.

Remus turned to see Lily contentedly eating her soup, and for a moment he was utterly confused. He turned to James and whispered, "What are you on about?"

"Look," said Sirius, subtly pointing.

Remus looked, and his eyes landed on a man who was seated at Lily's table. The man was not thin, but not fat. His skin had a pink glow and his brown hair was weighted flat with pomade. He was also staring quite openly at Lily's chest as she leaned forward, oblivious, to sip from her spoon.

By that time, Remus could almost _feel_ James' anger; he knew that James was a bit possessive of Lily...okay, possible more than a bit, in spite of the fact that Lily did seem to harbour a great dislike for James. Remus couldn't blame him, however. Even he was starting to feel a swell of anger toward the man leering at Lily. Really, had the man no morals at all? What right had he to look at her like that? The three boys continued to glare at the man, who finally turned away to talk to an old gentleman who was sitting beside him. Sirius leaned forward and patted James reassuringly on the shoulder. "Don't worry, Jamesie. He'll pay for that." Remus nodded in agreement, and James turned back to his food, gripping his fork noticeably harder than necessary.

Sirius ran a hand through his already-sleek hair, then leaned casually against the corridor wall. Currently the three boys were attempting to find a way to the man's (whom James had said was named Mr. Davidson) room. Remus had urged against the idea– breaking into the man's room was not his idea of a prank– but had been overruled. Then the question of which room was Davidson's remained. Sirius' face had split into a smile and he said only "Follow my lead" before leading the other two to C-Deck, where he proceeded to simply stand in the middle of the corridor. _He's mad. What is he doing?_ Remus thought, exchanging a slightly worried glance with James. Just then, a maid rounded the corner. She was short and mildly pretty, with wispy blonde hair and dark eyes. "This is it," murmured Sirius. _This is what?_

Sirius stepped in front of the maid as she attempted to pass by. "Excuse me, miss...My name is Sirius and I was just wondering if you could help me with something."

The maid cocked her head a little and said "Of course, sir" in a pleasant voice.

"See, I need to find a Mr. Davidson's room. He sent me to get his...er, watch...but he forgot to tell me his room number, and I don't have a key."

"I'm sorry, sir, I can't..."

Upon hearing this rejection, Remus expected Sirius to give up. Instead, the Black boy leaned forward a little toward the maid and grinned cheekily, showing straight, white teeth. His hand found her shoulder and when he spoke his voice had taken on a light husky tone. The maid blushed. Remus stared._ Oh god, he's seducing her!_ Sirius continued talking, "Please, it's very important. That watch was a...a gift. From his...great-grandmother. Family heirloom. The, er, grandmother..great-grandmother, I mean...passed away a couple months ago...It would mean a lot for you to help us." He gestured toward James and Remus when he said the last sentence, and the maid peered over at them with a surprised look on her face, as if she hadn't noticed them earlier, and James quickly straightened up and winked at her, while Remus, feeling highly embarrassed, shoved his hands into his pockets and looked intently at the floor while wishing that Sirius would shut up.

"Well, I suppose I could..." The maid sounded hesitant, but Sirius instantly perked up.

"Thanks, love. We owe you one, yeah?"

The maid led them up to A-Deck and to the door of a suite. She bade them to wait, then left and returned a few minutes later with a ring of keys. She unlocked the door, and the boys slipped inside. Sirius shot her a parting grin and said, "Bye, darling. We can take it from here."

The first thing Remus noticed was that the floor was carpeted. The carpet looked soft and was pale blue, and Remus was overcome by the urge to rip off his shoes so he could feel the softness. The upper half of the wall was also pale blue, while the lower half was paneled with rich dark wood. There were some comfy chairs and a sofa, some paintings leaning against the wall, and a door leading to another room. It was very hard to not just stand there and stare (especially since in the bedroom was a massive bed that looked impossibly comfortable), but James and Sirius, used to such luxury, just pulled him through the suite.

James nodded grimly toward the clothes closet. "Let's get to work."

...oo0oo...

For some reason, Remus looked positively shocked that writing dirty words on someone's shirt could be fun. James had to admit that while it was very childish– and maybe a little stupid-- to do this, he also figured that Davidson's clothes had cost a fortune and would cost loads to replace. Plus, there was no where else to get clothes on a ship. And they had to avenge Lily's honour in some way.

CRASH!

The sound reverberated through James' skull, and he and Remus whirled around to see Sirius standing guiltily over the shattered remains of a white porcelain washbasin. "Sorry..." James rolled his eyes and turned back to the shirt on which he was currently etching the word 'wanker.' He finished that and refolded the shirt, placing it gently into the drawer. Remus cleared his throat. "You know, somebody likely heard that." He pointed to what used to be the washbasin, then brushed his light brown hair out of his eyes and glanced nervously at the door.

_Poor boy, not used to pranking. We'll change that._

Ten minutes later, after all of Davidson's clothes had been sufficiently graffiti'd on, the boys shuffled out the room, made sure the door was locked behind them, and walked away with a slight swagger in their steps.

...oo0oo...

Really, boys were such immature idiots. How dare Potter smirk at her like that, as if he had saved her life or something! Lily huffed as she stalked away from James, Sirius, and Remus. She marched down the Grand Staircase and to the general room, where she flopped down on a leather couch and crossed her arms. Stupid Potter with his stupid glasses and his stupid messy hair and...well, perhaps the hair wasn't so stupid, it was actually rather nice. Lily realized that she had just mentally semi-complimented James Potter, and fought the urge to bang her head against the wall. "Bugger," she muttered to herself, staring at the ceiling.

As of late, Lily had found herself becoming ever so slightly friendlier to Potter. Perhaps it had something to do with Potter (and Black) being so accepting of Remus. After all, most boys of Potter's class would simply shun anyone in steerage. Of course, it wasn't like Lily herself had been rude to him. Actually, she'd been rather nice, she thought, because he seemed like a friendly bloke who wasn't looking for trouble...maybe she could ask him to make Potter leave her alone...where exactly was the brown-haired boy staying, anyway? Somewhere in third class, so the bottom decks? Yes, that would be it.

She stood up, straightened her dress, and left the room, passing Mr. Davidson on the way out. For some reason, the man had taken to wearing a black, buttoned-up coat, even though the weather was too warm for such things. Lily murmured a greeting to him as she passed, then went in search of a lift.

A couple of minutes later, Lily had decided that she really hated lifts. She had never been on one before, and the ones on the ship were all rickety and creaky and felt like they would break at any second. As the attendant slid open the gate, Lily dashed out of the lift and into the narrow corridor. She leaned against the wall and vowed to always take the stairs from now on.

"Are you alright?"

Lily quickly straightened up and smiled nervously at the boy in front of her. He had black hair, black eyes, and pale skin. A girl was standing next to him. Her tan skin glowed and her dark hair was pulled into a makeshift updo. Both wore light, sort of ratty jackets that suggested that they had been about to go up to the main deck.

"Well?" The boy's eyes pierced through her and she nodded weakly. He gave her a curious look then turned in the direction of the lift and began to walk away. The girl followed, and as they passed Lily thought she heard the boy muttering something about "barmy gingers." She wasn't sure what that meant, but decided to ignore it.

After wandering through the lower hallways for about half an hour, Lily finally found Remus sitting on a wooden bench and reading a worn-out book. He didn't notice her approaching; he coughed a few times, and flipped the page, and jumped when she addressed him.

"Oh. Hullo, Lily...er, you can sit down, if you like."

There was an awkward pause before Lily sat down on the opposite end of the bench. Remus put the book down– she couldn't see any title on the cover– and looked questioningly at her. She opened her mouth to interrogate him about Potter, but as she opened her mouth the words "I'm sorry" flew out, unbidden.

"For what?"

_Um..._"Well, I feel that I've been quite rude to you...so, sorry about that."

"It's okay."

"Look, what are you and Black and Potter doing later? Perhaps I can join you guys, get to know you better. It'll be nice, and since I'm betrothed to Potter– er, James I should probably learn to get on with him, right?"

He shrugged. "Sure. Meet us outside the Café Parisien at seven."

"What are we going to do?"

"You'll see."

After trying to wheedle the answer out of him for another minute or so, Lily gave up, flipped her red hair over her shoulder, and made to leave. She had taken but three steps when Remus said, "Oh, and Lily?"

"Yes?" She turned to look at him, and as he picked up his novel he said, "Wear comfortable shoes."

"Right."

She made her way down the corridor, veered past the lifts, and began climbing the stairs.

_Well, that went better than expected._

...oo0oo...

**Author note: **Sorry about the lack of updates. It's just that between school and work and homework and chores there's hardly any time to write. I will try to update quicker, but I can't make any promises.


	4. The Dance

**Summary:** It's 1912 and there's a new ship sailing on the ocean: the R.M.S. Titanic. Lily Evans boards the ship as a first-class passenger, as does her betrothed James Potter and his best friend Sirius Black. Meanwhile, Remus Lupin and Severus Snape languish in third class. When the two groups meet and befriend each other, societal subcultures clash, internal battles are wrought, and numerous pranks are played on unsuspecting and unprepared first-class passengers. But no one is prepared for the iceberg that looms ahead... Currently, Lily, James, and Sirius are meeting Severus, and are also discovering that third-class is better than they think. Remus isn't as positive.

**...oo0oo...**

**Chapter 4:**

**The Dance**

Severus unhappily noticed that he and Romina had to shout to be able to hear each other above the music. As Romina downed her drink, Severus scanned the crowd for Remus, hoping against hope that his old friend would be there and not be in the company of those first-class swots that he had taken to hanging out with. Severus didn't understand this– did Remus think he was too good to stay in steerage? Or were the first-class boys actually nice? Though the swirling coarse skirts and thin bodies dancing in the dim, smoky room, Severus caught sight of his roommate's tawny hair.

The dancing couples shifted, and Severus got a glimpse of the two black-haired boys and a pretty redhead standing next to Remus and looking awed at their surroundings. The redhead looked familiar...the dancers shifted back into his line of vision, and Severus, miffed, shouted over the din to Romina. "I'll be right back!" He stood and proceeded to shove his way across the packed floor. He found Remus and the three others sitting and laughing and drinking at their own worn, wooden table.

It was then that Severus Snape met the two boys that he would quickly vow to hate for life: James Potter and Sirius Black. The dislike started when Potter, whose hearing was probably simply impeded by the blaring Scottish tune, misheard the name 'Severus' and called him 'Snivellus' instead. The dislike intensified to hate when Black started laughing uproariously as if 'Snivellus' was the funniest thing he had ever heard in his (pathetic) life. Before Severus could retort, Remus told Potter and Black to stop– _good of him, too_– and the two morons immediately quieted down, though they did seem to take to sneering at Severus whenever they happened to look at him.

Remus' smile looked rather forced, and the redhead kicked Potter then turned to Severus. "Sorry about them," she yelled. "I'm Lily. Nice to meet you, _Severus_." Potter and Black smirked, Remus and Lily glared at them, and Severus found himself restraining the urge to punch the two rich gits hard enough to break their noses. Instead, he shouted "I should go!" to Remus, then struggled through the crowd and back to Romina and his table, where he sat down to nurse his drink and his resentment.

...oo0oo...

"Come on!" The attractive olive-skinned girl– Magda was her name– laughed and threw back her head as Sirius pulled her out amidst the mass of bodies on the dance floor. Lily couldn't repress a giggle as she watched Sirius' gawky attempts at dancing. _This is fun. I'm actually having_ fun.

The evening had started off poorly; Lily had met Severus Snape, and although he had seemed like quite a nice bloke, Potter and Black (_James and Sirius_, she corrected herself) had obviously taken in instant dislike to him. She thought that Severus had taken their prattishness rather well. She had watched him go back to his table and to the girl sitting there, and she had suddenly remembered that he and the girl had seen her outside the lift earlier that day. Lily had then gotten distracted by the appearance of the Magda girl, who had been passing by when Sirius intercepted her and asked her to dance.

Lily liked watching the other people dance; the dancing here was so unlike the stiff, slow dances she was used to. These people let themselves get caught up in the rhythm and clapping and shouting. She wanted to dance too, and was considering asking James when a little girl approached their table and (in badly broken English) introduced herself as Marina and shyly asked James to dance with her. Lily giggled (perhaps there was some sort of alcohol in her drink and that was why she was giggling so much) at Potter's– _James'_– surprised look, and couldn't help but smile when he enthusiastically stood up, ran a hand smoothly through his hair, and proclaimed himself honored to dance with "such a pretty girl." They retreated onto the floor and disappeared in the crowd. Lily turned to Remus, who said, "I guess that leaves us."

He stood too then offered his hand to her; Lily took it and they wove their way through the frenzied twirling bodies and to the middle of the dance floor. An exhilarating yet terrifying feeling welled up in Lily's stomach. _What if I make a complete fool of myself?_ She leaned closer to Remus and shouted "I don't know how to dance to this music!" Remus shrugged his thin shoulders. "It doesn't matter! Just do whatever you feel like."

In Lily's peripheral vision, Magda was dancing in quick yet graceful movements. Lily began to imitate her. She felt a bit foolish at first, but Remus was guiding her along and the music's beat was loud and her feet were moving of their own accord now. A mental image flashed through her mind: Mrs. Rush, looking scandalized at Lily's crazed dancing. Lily smirked at the image and then Remus twirled her. It took her a moment to realize that he had let her go and she was spinning through space, the lights and scenery blurring madly. A pair of strong arms looped around her waist and she looked up into the face of James.

She glanced back at Remus, who was now dancing with Marina. He sent her a rakish grin before turning back to his partner, who was standing on the tops of his shoes so that she was a relatively suitable height for dancing with such a tall boy.

Lily's arms wound their way around James' shoulders and then the world was a blur again and she felt _free_. She was suddenly very happy that she had come on the journey with Mrs. Rush, that James was here with her. She remembered her original plot to abandon him once they had reached New York. She was not seriously reconsidering that plan. After all, while James was still a prat– a handsome prat but a prat nonetheless– he was also nicer and less cocky than she'd thought. Of course, she'd never thought that she would be dancing in Potter's arms and actually enjoying it. She made a quick mental note to thank Remus for bringing her here with them.

...oo0oo...

Remus was hot. Literally. He wondered vaguely if what he was feeling was the beginning of a fever. He hoped not, but he had a feeling that his hope was in vain.

Marina tugged at his jacket sleeve and informed him that she had to go back to her mother now. Remus obligingly led her back to her family, and her parents thanked him and disappeared out the door. Remus wandered back to his table, noting that Sirius had gotten a little too cozy with Magda. He saw Lily and James in the middle of the crowd, and smiled tiredly as he watched them. He shed his jacket and leaned against the wall, feeling semi-light headed as the music pounded into his brain and the pains of a headache took root. This wasn't a complete surprise, since he hadn't been feeling too well earlier; he'd simply thought he could make it through the evening without getting much worse. Ah, well, nothing could be done about it now...

Remus had never had a strong immune system; this was evident in his pale, almost too-thin visage. The fact that he was poor didn't help matters. He'd suffered severe fevers before, and he could already tell that this was going to be bad. He closed his eyes then fluttered them open again, searching the room for Severus. He saw him and stared hard, willing Severus to look over. After about three minutes and a lot of mental power, Severus glanced up and caught Remus' slightly glassy gaze. Remus jerked his head toward the door in a 'I'm leaving' signal. Severus gave a curt nod to show his understanding, and Remus pushed himself away from the wall and shuffled out into the corridor and to his cabin.

Marina waved at him as he entered. He smiled back at her then clambered onto his top bunk and promptly blacked out.

...oo0oo...

**Author note: **In case you're confused, Marina was the daughter in the Italian family that shares Remus' and Severus' cabin. Look back in chapter 1 if you don't believe me.


	5. Disappointments

**Summary**: It's 1912 and there's a new ship sailing on the ocean: the R.M.S. Titanic. Lily Evans boards the ship as a first-class passenger, as does her betrothed James Potter and his best friend Sirius Black. Meanwhile, Remus Lupin and Severus Snape languish in third class. When the two groups meet and befriend each other, societal subcultures clash, internal battles are wrought, and numerous pranks are played on unsuspecting and unprepared first-class passengers. But no one is prepared for the iceberg that looms ahead... Currently, this is the groups second evening/third morning at sea.

**...oo0oo...**

**Chapter 5:**

**Disappointments**

Lily was furious. How dare Potter just leave her like that? She had been having a perfectly wonderful time and then Black popped up out of nowhere, whispered something to James, and James had looked at Lily and murmured a quick "Sorry" before disappearing with Black into the crowd. This had left Lily standing in the middle of the dance floor all by herself and looking quite foolish.

Lily stamped her foot (which was probably not the best idea, because the heel of her shoe almost broke) and huffily stalked over to the nearest table so she could sulk. It was only after she sat down that she noticed that she was not the only one at said table. Indeed, Severus Snape and his girlfriend were there, and had apparently been in the middle of snogging when Lily had so rudely parked herself down right across from them. The two were goggling at her now, looking quite shocked (and angry, in the girl's case), and Lily felt herself flush deep red. Trying to appear composed, she calmly stood, smoothed her skirt, then inclined her head and muttered, "Terribly sorry to bother you...I'll just be going. Now. My apologies. Bye." Then she turned and booked it.

Now she was standing in the corridor, listening to the dull hum of the ship engines and wondering what to do now and _What time is it anyway? _and _Do these people ever sleep?_ Having nothing further to do and starting to feel slightly claustrophobic in the narrow corridor, Lily concluded that she could either go to her rooms and sleep or go up to the boat deck for some fresh air. The former meant she would have to see the unpleasant maid Josephine, and the latter involved freezing in the cold Atlantic air. Lily weighed her options, and in the end resolved that she was too worked up to sleep and that walking around on the boat deck had the added advantage of the possibility of seeing Potter, whom she would be happy to shove overboard.

After trekking up numerous flights of stairs– Lily had not before realized how huge the ship really was, but she still refused to take the lifts– she finally arrived, huffing and puffing, at the uppermost deck. She had neglected to bring a coat, and as she leaned against the railing and surveyed the black water below she rubbed her arms in a vain attempt to warm herself up. _Bloody Atlantic...it's so cold..._

"It's lovely, isn't it?" A male voice interrupted her resentful thoughts about the weather, and Lily started. She turned and saw a man who appeared to be middle-aged. He was well-dressed (and was wearing a coat, Lily noted), was obviously a first class passenger, and was clearly insane to think that the bleak water was lovely.

"Er..." replied Lily.

The man chuckled and took a few steps toward her. "Excuse me, miss. I didn't introduce myself, did I?" He held out his hand and said, "Mr. Andrews."

The name sounded vaguely familiar, and when Lily held out her hand and said "Miss Evans" he kissed the back of her hand lightly then stepped back to continue looking at the ocean. Lily seized this moment of quiet to wrack her brains about who this bloke was. She knew she had heard his name before, and that he was important for... something-or-other.

"Are you not cold?" He was looking at her quizzically, and Lily smiled genially and said "Only a little." _Yes, yes, I'm freezing. Give me your coat!_ The man may or may not have been able to read Lily's thoughts, but in any case he offered his coat to her and she took it and hurriedly put it on.

"So how do you like the ship so far?"

"It's very...big. Wonderful, though. Comfortable rooms and the Grand Staircase is breathtaking."

"Hmm." He appeared to be deep in thought, and Lily, feeling a bit awkward, added, "You know, I really should be going back inside. My friend, Mrs. Rush, is probably quite worried by now about where I've been."

"Yes, of course. Goodnight, Miss Evans."

"Same to you, Mr. Andrews. Here is your coat. Thank you."

She departed from him and was halfway to her rooms when she stopped mid-step, a stricken look on her face. She remembered who he was now! Mr. Andrews, who had designed the Titanic! _Oh, bugger it all! _Lily leaned against the paneled wall and buried her face in her hands.

Tonight was just not her night.

...oo0oo...

James felt guilty about leaving Lily alone like that, but Sirius had sounded urgent when he told James that Remus was ill and had left. Then again, James would probably have plenty of opportunities to make amendments with Lily, but knew he would likely never see Remus again after they had docked in New York.

The interior of Remus' cabin was smaller than he had expected, and James was surprised to see an entire family curled up on the two bunks on the left side of the room. Rem was curled up on the right top bunk, his eyes closed and his breathing even. He didn't look well at all, and James wondered aloud if they should take him to the infirmary. Sirius frowned and shook his head. "I don't think he's that bad." He paused and looked around the cabin. "It's probably from being stuck down here. No windows or anything. Know what he needs? Fresh air. We can take him up tomorrow and poke fun at the ridiculous pouffy hairdos that the old women wear. I have gum we can chew and– "

"Sirius, that's mean."

"You're just saying that because that's what Lily would think."

"I'm not!"

"Yes you are!"

"Not!"

"Are!"

"Will you two please be quiet?" A soft voice floated over and the James and Sirius looked up and saw that Remus' eyes were open. He hadn't moved at all; only his eyes had flickered to them once.

"Sorry, mate." Both boys apologized at the same time, and Remus re-closed his eyes. "We'll see you tomorrow," added Sirius. James ruffled Remus' tawny hair and said "'Night" before he and Sirius left the cabin and made their way up to the kitchens to pillage food.

...oo0oo...

Severus had finally disentangled himself from Romina. She was nice enough to snog, but a little too sullen. This was probably somewhat hypocritical of him, since Severus himself was not exactly what one would call jolly. Still, he supposed that was why he needed someone that was bright and cheery, so that he wouldn't be surrounded by gloom all the time.

His mind flicked to the ginger who had sat at his table earlier. She was the same who had been sitting with Remus and the two gits, and he had also seen her near the lifts before. Why did she have to be everywhere he was? As far as he could tell, she wasn't very quick in the head, but then he remembered that she had been kind enough to call him 'Severus' instead of 'Snivellus' and he immediately reprimanded himself for judging her harshly.

Besides, she really wasn't bad-looking, especially for a ginger. On the other hand, he had seen her dancing with the Potter moron, and looking like she was enjoying his company. Maybe she really was too thick for her own good. Or maybe she was just loopy. Severus shrugged the thoughts of the girl away and ruminated for a moment about whether or not it would be worth it to try to sleep. It was about one-thirty in the morning so he would have to get up in about six and a half hours anyway.

He had to go to his cabin anyway, to check on Remus. He had travelled around with the other boy for far too long to simply leave him. If Severus possessed any redeeming characteristic, it was loyalty, and Remus had saved Sev's arse enough times to warrant his unconditional loyalty as a friend. So even though Severus hated that Remus was being daft and hanging about with Potter and Black, he still felt that it was necessary to make sure his friend was alright.

By merely looking at Remus' sleeping form, Severus could tell that it would be a bad fever. Not horrible, not fatal, but still bad enough to make Severus feel guilty that he had been snogging Romina while his friend had been suffering. He folded a hand towel and dipped it into the cool water in the washbasin, then laid the towel on Remus' forehead. He waited for about five minutes, then repeated the process a few more times.

He draped the town over the edge of the basin and yawned deeply before shedding his jacket, kicking off his shoes, and burrowing under his own bedsheets. Hopefully tomorrow would be good Potter-and-Black-free day.

He smiled at that thought.

**...oo0oo...**

**Author Note:** Sorry about lack of updates, but now it's Christmas break so I have some more free time. Although I do have holiday homework; one assignment is reading _Tale of Two Cities_, and I was in the middle of when Darnay was talking to his uncle the Marquis when all of a sudden I got this random idea to do a pre-Potter _the Prince and the Pauper_. And there are far too many P's in the second part of that sentence and I know_ the Prince and the Pauper _is by Twain not Dickens. Anyway, should I attempt that later, or has it already been done? Or does it just sound lame?


	6. Ice

**Author Note: **YES! I WIN!...ahem...I mean, I finally got off my lazy butt and finished this story. The remainder of it is 18 written pages in length, though I will undoubtedly add more content as I proofread and type.

**Summary: **It's 1912 and there's a new ship sailing on the ocean: the R.M.S. Titanic. Lily Evans boards the ship as a first-class passenger, as does her betrothed James Potter and his best friend Sirius Black. Meanwhile, Remus Lupin and Severus Snape languish in third class. When the two groups meet and befriend each other, societal subcultures clash, internal battles are wrought, and numerous pranks are played on unsuspecting and unprepared first-class passengers. But no one is prepared for the iceberg that looms ahead... Currently, things are taking a turn for the worst (and it will probably start out a little dry but the drama will come soon enough).

**...oo0oo...**

**Chapter 6:**

**Ice**

The next day was, unfortunately, spent not spitting gum into old women's hair or helping Remus recover. Rather, Remus had proved too ill to go out (Snivellus had come to the decision that his roommate needed rest, and had kicked Sirius and James out in a rather unpleasant manner), and pranking was not as much fun without Remus there. So, Sirius and James had spent the whole of the day attempting to find Lily, who seemed adamant about avoiding James, a feat that wasn't hard considering the size of the ship. "She hates me now. I know it. I should have explained before I left," moaned James when evening finally fell. Sirius mimed shooting himself. James glared, but Sirius simply gave him friendly slap on the back. "Cheer up, mate, she'll come around."

"I guess. Still, I want to explain."

They made their way to the lift. "B Deck," said Sirius to the operator, and then they were going up. James knocked on Lily's door; no one answered. James banged harder on the door. "Lilyyyyy! Lilyflower, darling! Come on! I'm sorry! OW! Siri, what was that for?" "She's not here, you dunderhead."

Eventually they found Lily sitting on the Grand Staircase, staring wistfully up at the gold cherub statue.** "**There you are!" exclaimed James happily. Lily looked up. "Oh, it's you." "Lily, let me explain." The redhead raised one slender eyebrow as if daring him to continue. James obliged. "Well, Sirius here said–" A jolting sensation seemed to run through the ship, causing James to stop talking and Sirius, suddenly alert, to fling his arm out and say "Did you feel that?"

The three looked around to see if anything looked different. All looked fine to James and Sirius, but before James could open his mouth to speak Lily said, "That's curious. The engines are stopped." And indeed they had. The constant vibration of the engines, which had become mere background noise to them, was gone. Moments later, an older couple began descending the staircase and Sirius stopped them.

"Pardon me, but do you happen to know why the engines have stopped?"

The man shook his head, but the womansaid, "Someone said something about ice on the aft decks." She sniffed primly. "Apparently, some third-class passengers are playing football with the ice." The couple continued down the steps. Sirius thought _football sounds fun_, and James shrugged. "It's probably nothing."

"Perhaps," agree Lily, reluctantly, but Sirius, whose mind had finally nosed its way past the football comment, shook his head. His handsome features were molded into a disturbingly serious expression, and his head was cocked lightly to the side as if he was listening for something. "Do you hear that?" he asked quietly, and his two companions immediately frowned and strained their ears. In the strange silence they heard it– the slamming of doors and harried pattering of feet, and an odd distant creaking. Their concentration was broken by a single set of footsteps running down the staircase. Sirius' gaze was wrenched toward the noise, and he now saw a dark-haired steward approaching them. The steward– a young man who was obviously older than them but younger than 30– came to a stop when he spotted the three well-dressed teenagers, straightened his posture, and began to speak in a lilting, cordial voice. "Pardon me, young gentlemen and lady, but there is a routine drill taking place. You need to dress warmly and report to the Boat Deck as soon as possible. Bring your life belts."

He then gave them a smile– which Sirius thought looked slightly strained– and departed. Lily sighed and stood. "I suppose we should do what he says." She left, and Sirius began to lead a crestfallen James back to their cabin. "Come off it. You can explain to her later." The pair silently made their way back to their rooms, put off by they silence of the engines. As Sirius slid a thick woolen coat over his shoulders and reached for his life belt, he was stopped by a distressed sigh from James. He frowned– James never sighed unless he was in a seriously bad mood.

The bespectacled boy had been buttoning his coat, but now he stopped and peered at his friend. "You think this is really a drill?" Sirius paused; his mind drifted to the jolting feeling, the silent engines, the ice on the deck. Yet, there was no screaming, the ship wasn't tilting, and the stewards they'd seen in the corridors all seemed calm. Sirius shook his head to clear his thoughts then tossed a life belt to James. "Of course it's a drill." _I hope it's a drill_. "Now get that on because if you fall into that water I am _not _pulling you out."James allowed a small smile before the two secured their life belts and left the cabin, locking it before turning away.

The corridors were not filled with people, but there was a good amount of first-class passengers headed toward the Boat Deck, all clad in their life belts, although a few had deigned warm clothing unnecessary. As Sirius began to follow the crowd he heard James behind him, muttering "A drill on a freezing night like this? They must be _mad_."

...oo0oo...

Lily shivered. She's just gotten onto the Boat Deck and _already _she was cold! _I should have dressed warmer_."Hey, Lilyflower," Potter's voice floated from behind her, and she turned to face Potter and Black (_James and Sirius_), both of whom looked warm and snug.

"Hello," she answered. Both boys looked more serious than she had ever seen them...actually, this was probably the only time she had seen them acting mature at all.

"You cold?" James asked her, but somehow it did not sound like a question. Lily hesitated– she didn't want to seem weak– then nodded. "Here." James fumbled with his life belt (thrusting it carelessly into Sirius' arms when he finally got it off) and coat, which he hastily unbuttoned and took off. He held it towards Lily, who, although she acted stiff and formal when she took the coat, could not keepherself from mentally cooing at James' chivalrous act while at the same time she wondered what it was with her and borrowing men's coats.

James beamed at her, and Sirius rolled his eyes before handing James' life belt back to him. "I wonder where Rem is," Sirius muttered, and Lily looked around, scanning the deck with wide green eyes. The deck was beginning to get packed, so Lily wasn't surprised to see that Remus was not visible. "We probably just can't see him through the crowd," she assured the boys. "Probably," James agreed amiably. Lily continued scanning the multitude of people, her attention interrupted when a large woman jostled by.As she regained her footing, Lily thought she noticed something else. _Is the deck tilting a bit?...No, that can't be right... _"Lily, are you alright?"Before she could answer, a cry of "Women and children first!" rang out. Faint music began to play; the tune was strangely lively. And the deck...yes, the deck was most certainly tilted under her feet.

"Lily?" James sounded slightly panicked. She turned to look at him, her hands clutching his coat tighter around her body so that the thick material began crushing the delicate lace-lined dress underneath. When she spoke, the calmness of her voice surprised even her. "We're sinking." As if to verify her statement, a flash of white light and a deep explosion were produced from overhead. Lily looked up at the sky– it had previously been black but was now alight with a massive firework. "Distress rocket," she heard Sirius say. "Distress rocket?" James echoed.

Lily was beginning to feel oddly numb. Out of her peripheral vision she saw Mrs. Rush and Josephinebeing helped onto a lifeboat. The boat was half-full. Before she could wonder about this, Lily felt a hand close firmly around her arm and found herself being pulled towards the boat by James Potter. "What are you _doing?_"she shrieked, trying to pull away.

"You need to get on the boat," said James in an insufferably superior tone of voice. "He's right," added Sirius unhelpfully.

Lily jerked her arm out of James' grip. "I can take care of myself, thank you very much!""Look–"

"James!" Mrs. Potter's voice cried, and a second later Mr. and Mrs. Potter seeped into view, weaving their dignified way through the crowd. "There you are!"

"C'mon, women and children first!" The sailor nearest to them gestured agitatedly toward the lifeboat.

"Lily, dear, come."Mrs. Potter wrapped her arm around Lily's shoulder. The older woman smiled at her husband, her son, and at Sirius before saying, "We'll meet up with you later. Love you." She gave her husband a quick peck on the cheek and ruffled the boys' hair before steering Lily toward the lifeboat. The redhead sputtered. She couldn't just _leave _them!And Mrs. Potter was obviously of the firm belief that this whole wretched thing was a drill! "Wait, I can't leave! James! Sirius!"

But the two boys watched serenely and did nothing while a seaman sat Lily in the boat next to Mrs. Potter. "Lower away!"

...oo0oo...

Severus frowned. He'd been jarred awake and now he couldn't get back to sleep for the life of him. Constant footsteps tapped infernally in the corridors and overhead, voices filtered in from the passageway, and the silence of the engines was eerily overwhelming. The Italian family was whispering amongst themselves, and finally the father climbed out of bed and slipped out of the cabin. The open cabin door revealed a slightly crowded corridor. Severus swore softly– _What is going on?– _and sat up, noticing, oddly enough, that the cabin seemed crooked. _The jolting...the engines...everything's crooked...Shit_. They were sinking. That was the only explanation he could think of.

Still swearing, he stood to wake Remus; he almost fell over, the tilt of the floor was so drastic. How had it not noticed it earlier? "Remus, mate, get your arse up...Remus?" He shook the brown-haired boy, who groaned and rolled over. "Bleeding hell. Wake up!" He conked the boy lightly on the head. Remus jerked awake. "Wha–?" "We're sinking." Remus blinked blearily, obviously not in a mental state to understand the implications of what Severus was saying. Severus rolled his eyes, slipping an arm round Remus' shoulders and pulling him of the bunk. The two boys fell to the floor and Severus staggered up, dragging his fevered mate him. The Italian woman and the three children watched wide-eyed as Severus flung open the cabin door, half-carrying a sleepy, sick Remus as he did so.

_Why does the bloody ship have to sink _now_?_ He thought bitterly as he pushed throughthe throng of people surrounding the staircase. _And why isn't anyone leaving?_ He propped Remus against a walland elbowed further into the crowd to see what was holding them back. At the top of the stairs a steward was saying "You will be free to board the lifeboats once the first- and second-class passengers have boarded!" Separating the steward from the pushing crowd was a gate. Locked. Severus stared. That didn't last long, as he was soon shoved back. He hit the wall, his mind going into overdrive as he contemplated escape routes. _The lifts?_ He edged toward the nearest lift, only to see that the shaft was empty._Maybe further down... _He continued walking, and the floor became noticeably steeper. A group of people ran by, and one of the group, a mustachioed man, sent a panicked look back, then at Severus and cried "There's water down there!"He fled. Severus stared at where the man had stood a mere second ago, caught in a moment of indecision. _Should I keep going?_"Well, if the water isn't too high," he muttered to himself and continued on his way.

He rounded a corner and stopped, fear uncoiling inside him. Water lapped a mere few inches from his feet. Farther down, he could see that it reached about three-quarters up the wall. A few people were struggling through a waist-deep pool. Severus turned and ran. He found Remus slumped against the wall and, remarkably, asleep._Well,_ he thought drily. _At least he won't feel anything if we drown. _He sat on the floor next to Remus and leaned against the wall. _Those rich berks had better board those lifeboats soon._


	7. The Reunion

**Author Note: **Sorryabout the slow updating. I'm lazy, and am also getting ready for college.

Also, my deepest apologies to momiji'sunusedhalo, but I have forced my heart to be stone cold and thus they cannot all survive. I'm trying to be historically realistic, and when the _Titanic_ sank about three quarters of the men died. And I have four guys here, so...yeah. To paraphrase JKR, writers must be merciless killers. Sorry about that, and about this chapter being so short. The next ones will be longer, I swear.

**Summary: **It's 1912 and there's a new ship sailing on the ocean: the R.M.S. Titanic. Lily Evans boards the ship as a first-class passenger, as does her betrothed James Potter and his best friend Sirius Black. Meanwhile, Remus Lupin and Severus Snape languish in third class. When the two groups meet and befriend each other, societal subcultures clash, internal battles are wrought, and numerous pranks are played on unsuspecting and unprepared first-class passengers. But no one is prepared for the iceberg that looms ahead... Currently, things are not boding well for our beloved boys.

**...oo0oo...**

**Chapter 7:**

**The Reunion**

"How the hell does this thing work?!"

"Push the button and pull the lever, you idiot!"

"Right. Sorry."

James and Sirius stood nervously in the lift. They had unceremoniously kicked out the lift operator, who, although still waiting dutifully beside his lift, had stoically refused to take the two boys down to steerage.

The lift shuddered and began its rickety descent as James and Sirius waited tensely for it to reach its destination. The current plan was for them to grab Remus (and Snivellus, if they must), take them up to the Boat Deck, and get on a lifeboat. Surely it wouldn't take too long for the women and children to board. Through the grating, James caught a glimpse of grey water; his heart seemed to stop for a second.

"Sirius," he breathed, clutching his friend's coat sleeve. The water began to seep through the gate and into the lift. James, horrified, took an involuntary step back. The frigid water was rising now, swirling thickly around his ankles. "Up! Go back up!" James screeched, his hands making a desperate bid for the lift buttons. "No, not yet!" Sirius grabbed his arm as the lift shuddered to a stop, with the freezing water eddying around just below their knees. Sirius threw the gate open and treaded out into the flooded corridor.

"Blimey, this is cold."

"Thanks, Captain Obvious," James snapped sourly, while staying close to the wall. His legs were already going numb. Sirius glared.

"_Go back up!_" he mimicked in a high-pitched voice.

"Shut up," replied James, before pointing up the corridor. "Everyone's probably up there."

"I wonder why there weren't any steerage passengers on the Boat Deck?" mused Sirius as they treaded through the water, the level of which was steadily lowering until it reached their calves. James shrugged. "Who knows."

Voices up ahead were clear now. Screaming, crying, panicking, voices. Exchanging glances, the two boys bounded forward as fast as their sodden trousers would allow them.

The crowd of steerage passengers was thick, so there was soon no room for James or Sirius to move, they were so pressed together. "I think I'm suffocating," wheezed James as he and Sirius slowly pushed through the crowd while simultaneously searching for Remus. Sirius was ahead; James could see his aristocratic face clearly through the throng. Suddenly, Sirius stopped. His grey eyes widened perceptibly as he stared up a thickly populated staircase.

"What?" James elbowed up to him. _Does he see Rem? He better have...I hate this...I think I'm claustrophobic..._Sirius continued to gaze up the stairs. He didn't look at James. "We're locked in."

"Huh?" James followed Sirius' gaze to see that, sure enough, the exit was blocked by a black metal gate. The crowd was pulsating roughly against it. James shuddered, tearing his eyes from the gate to look for Remus. He pulled a still-stunned Sirius with him. "C'mon, let's find Remy and get him to the lift," he encouraged, trying to keep his voice steady. Several heads swivelled in their direction upon hearing the word _lift_, but James ignored them, favoring to continue pushing through the suffocating, deafening, thickly packed corridor.

...oo0oo...

_Odd_, he thought– he was cold and hot at the same time. Actually, it was just his legs and arse that were cold. Cold enough that they were beginning to feel numb. Incoherent yelling assaulted his eardrums; swarms of legs and feet fizzled into view. He yawned.

"Oh, you're awake." Severus' coldly monotone voice drawled from beside him. That's when Remus noticed the water. It was clear and cold and was up to the ankles of those standing around him. Fever buzzed in his head, and through the fog he had a moment of clarity during which he wondered aloud why they were simply sitting in the corridor (and when had they gone to the corridor anyway?) and letting themselves get soaked in icy water (and _why _was there water on the ship?).

Severus' response was drowned out by a sudden series of shrieks– a great wave of water was bearing down on them; to Remus' fevered eyes it looked like a massive metal wall coming to crush them. Some distant part of his mind screamed for him to move, and he instinctively grabbed Sev's arm and hauled him up and leapt back as the silver wall crumbled to pieces in front of them. The force of it knocked them back farther; Remus felt his feet slip and he accidentally gulped some water; it stabbed at his mouth and throat with icicles, then Severus was pulling him up and away, through the whirlpool of desperate bodies in a flood of suddenly waist-deep water.

The two gripped each others' jacket sleeves, staying connected even as the throng almost pushed them apart. Faces swam in Remus' vision, and something was pulling at his ankle. Unthinkingly he pulled away, only to realize a second later that it had probably been some poor soul who had been pushed under and was getting tramples. _Crap_. Too late, they were near the stairs now and the gate was getting crushed and steward guarding it looked scared out of his mind. Scared enough that he grabbed his pistol and pulled the trigger.

Shots rang out over the din, echoing in Remus' brain. The effect was immediate; the crowd fell to its knees and covered its ears, a large entity of fear and panic that seemed as one. The shots died away, and Remus, who was now in sudden possession of a rather spectacular headache, glanced up and slowly uncovered his ears. His brown eyes swept through those surrounding him. There was Severus, scowling as usual, and there!– there were Sirius and James (_What on earth are they doing down here?_), huddled against a wall, looking positively terrified and staring in wide-eyed horror at the now-calmed steward. Remus gently tugged Severus' sleeve and pointed out the two ruffled-looking black-haired boys. Sev's scowl deepened, but Remus took hold of his arm and they threaded their way up the stairs toward them.

Upon seeing Remus, James' and Sirius' expressions both brightened. "Excellent!" cried Sirius, evidently having already forgotten his previous anxiety.

"We were looking for you," said James.

"We used the lift to get down here," added Sirius.

"Fat lot of good that'll do us now," snarled Severus in reply.

Remus peered down the flooded corridor. "He's right," he said, affirming Severus' observation about the present uselessness of going to the lifts. There was no way they could make it down the lifts, which probably wouldn't work now anyway.

The lights overhead gave a couple of unsteady flickers, then gave out completely, shrouding the passageway in black. More screams. The four boys stared soberly down the hall (at least, Remus thought they were– he could hardly see), and Remus felt water lapping at his thighs.

Sirius said, "We're doomed."

...oo0oo...

She gripped the side of the boat, staring at the sinking ship and mentally smacking herself. _I should have stayed on. I should have stayed with my friends and my fiancé_. Her knuckles whitened. _If they die..._her breath quickened painfully and she couldn't bring herself to finish the thought.

The atmosphere in the half empty lifeboat was tense and breathless; all the woman (and the one man who had shamelessly sneaked aboard) were staring in mixed horror and awe at the Titanic. The stern was slowly but steadily rising into the night air. _God help them_, prayed Lily, unable to tear her eyes off the dreadful sight.


	8. The Greater Good

**Summary: **It's 1912 and there's a new ship sailing on the ocean: the R.M.S. Titanic. Lily Evans boards the ship as a first-class passenger, as does her betrothed James Potter and his best friend Sirius Black. Meanwhile, Remus Lupin and Severus Snape languish in third class. When the two groups meet and befriend each other, societal subcultures clash, internal battles are wrought, and numerous pranks are played on unsuspecting and unprepared first-class passengers. But no one is prepared for the iceberg that looms ahead... Currently, they're fighting for their lives.

**...oo0oo...**

**Chapter 8:**

**The Greater Good**

For a moment, they stood there listening to the prowling water and to the sobs surrounding them. Severus felt Remus leaning heavily on him. Then the group's silence was broken by Potter: "Don't be stupid." Severus raised his eyebrows. "They're going to break down the gate," the bespectacled boy added. Sure enough, a loud crashing ripped t through the air and Severus turned his head to see some men carrying a bench—one of the benches that usually rested against the walls of the corridors—and getting ready to have another go at the now-dented gate. _CRASH!_

Severus shifted his hold on the sick Remus. Black said, "We'd better get ready to make a break for it." To Severus' surprise, the other boy moved forward and slipped his arm around Remus to help support him. _**CRAAAASH! **_The gate clattered down in a tangle of metal, and the bench was tossed aside as the mob surged ahead. The boys were jostled forward as well as the crowd spilled through the narrow gateway in a rush. The water spilled with them, coating the floor in a slick carpet of cold that caused several unfortunate people to slip and fall. These were promptly either shoved aside or trampled. _Weaklings_, thought Severus bitterly, though he did feel a touch of sympathy for them.

The slope of the ship's floors were too steep now; those who slipped now had no time to be mercifully crushed underfoot; rather, they slid down the corridor, crashing with painful-sounding crunches and shrieks that were impossible to block out. The steadily-sinking crowd crawled up passageways and scrambled up stairs, with the water occasionally catching their heels or ankles, teasing them with the threat of death.

Somehow—even Severus wasn't sure how—the four boys made it to the Boat Deck. There they paused, hesitant to step out onto the deck for fear of becoming one of the unfortunates who slid down the deck and into the water. "Grab the railings," rasped Remus, speaking suddenly for the first time since they had found Potter and Black. _Impossible_, thought Severus, _they're too far out for us to just grab_. Black and Potter, who were in front of their little group, did not move. Remus pushed himself loose from Severus' grip and began to amble forward. "What the hell are you _doing_?" hissed Severus. Had his friend gone mad?

Remus just sent him a reassuring smile and stepped in front of James and Sirius and onto the steeply sloping deck. Suddenly, in a show of courage that belied his frail frame, he darted forward; Severus stifled a cry of terror as his longtime companion slipped on the deck a few metres before his pale hand shot out and closed around the thin metal railing. He swung over it so that he was standing on the railing's outside, on the very edge of the deck. Courage bolstered, Black breathed "Here goes" then stepped forward and mimicked what Remus had just done. Potter followed suit. Now, it was Severus' turn.

Severus took a deep breath—_final breath?_—and lunged out toward the railing. His mind spun and he felt sick as he started to slide, his feet scrabbling hopelessly against the smooth wooden deck, his hands clawing and flailing, reaching for a railing they could not find. _Where is it? Where IS IT?_ A strong hand encased his wrist; his arm jerked painfully in its socket as he looked up to see that his saviour was none other than Potter.

…oo0oo…

He clung breathlessly to the railing. He'd never before realized how thin it was. _Really, shouldn't they make these things more sturdy?_ Sirius gripped harder and tried to keep from hyperventilating.

"We should go up there," panted Remus, gesturing to the stern, where the railing wasn't sideways. Sirius barely had time to marvel at the brown-haired boy's calmness in the face of danger, because he had looked down to check his footing. _Bad idea. Shit._ Not only could he see his footing, he could also see the black side of the ship, and the dark water that swirled far below. _Okay, calm down, Siri. You CAN do this!_ He tried to calm himself as he began inching along the railing, all too aware that one wrong step meant a painful, icy death. Remus was ahead of him, and James and Severus were following.

A strange creaking noise distracted them just as they were reaching the stern. Before any of them even had time to ponder what the sound was, the entire ship trembled violently as an ear-shattering explosion rang out. The front funnel tipped precariously backward, hovering for a moment at an angle, a thick slash of rusty red against the stars, before slamming down on the deck, showering metal and sparks and crushing people beneath it. Several screaming people fell past Sirius, their limbs splayed and visages frozen in grotesque horror as they plummeted past, and one of the men hit the railing and bounced off of it into the air, his body twisting in the air before disappearing into the black pool below, and Sirius froze and tightened his grip on his section of railing. _I take it back—I _can't_ do this_.

In his moment of terror, he became keenly aware of the sounds of violins weaving over the cacophony of tearing metal and clamoring people. Strange as it was, the music calmed him, and he realized he'd been holding his breath. Exhaling, he continued after Remus, climbing ever closer to the stern. _God, this is so steep_.

He chanced a glance back, seeing James following, and Severus…not moving? "Snape, get over here!" _I may not like the bloke, but I'll be damned if I just let him die_. Snape didn't move for a second, then he slipped his arm through the railing bars and took hold of the arm of a young boy on the inside of the railing. The lad, who looked no older than twelve, had been clutching onto his mother, a grey slip of woman who was trying to cling to both the railing and her son. As Sirius and James watched, Snape pulled the child through the bars to (relative) safety, then gave a small grimace—which might have been an attempt at an actual smile, Sirius wasn't sure—as he let the boy take the place that he had just been holding. And then he let go.

Sirius felt a horrified cry tear from his throat, and beside him James exclaimed "What the hell?!" Remus did not react. Sirius gripped the railing hard and leaned over it. "I think I'm gonna be sick."

…oo0oo…

He heard Sirius' scream and James's exclamation, but his mind was so muddled that he couldn't make sense of it. He felt himself shaking, and he wondered whether it was from fever or fear. Probably both. There was another ominous creak, and Remus forced himself to focus on the situation at hand. _Is another funnel breaking?_

A great tearing sound spiked sharply, and suddenly everything was metal tearing and glass shattering and people and furniture being smashed; the stern was falling toward the water and Remus' stomach felt left behind as the stern fell. The lights of the ship flickered then died, plunging them all into darkness, and all Remus could see was black sky and black water and the massive black outline of the deck. Then, in an almost elegant manner, the stern began rising smoothly into the air. He could hear Sirius and James both praying ("Oh God, oh god, please…"), as the stern continued rising until Remus was quite positive that it was sticking straight up toward the sky, then a great squelching sound indicated that the ship was beginning to go under. Remus could dimly see the water rising to meet them—or rather, see the water getting closer as they fell to meet it.

He was not aware of the screams or the cold, only of the water. Suddenly remembering his companions, he yelled for them to jump on his command, then grab some floating debris so they could stay afloat. If they replied he was not aware of it. He felt strangely calm, and his head was clearer than it had ever been. It all seemed so simple at the moment: jump, gloat on debris, swim to lifeboat, live. He almost missed the opportune time to jump; he came to his senses a mere second before the moment passed, then forced his energy into one word: "NOW!"

He flung himself forward, was vaguely aware of other bodies falling beside him. The water hurt when he hit it; it felt almost solid but then he slid under it and was surrounded by kicking legs, frantic arms, swirling fabric, and _cold_, it was so cold he must be frozen already. He broke the surface, gasping for air, and caught sight of a bed frame floating not too far off; he tried to lift his arms to swim to it but they weren't cooperating, he'd used all his energy and now he couldn't swim; his head was fuzzy again and he caught sight of a girl thrashing around near him. She was very young and had no lifebelt and the stars glinted off her desperate eyes, and he thought _She can still make it_ then used his final burst of remaining energy and willpower to reach out push her toward the frame, and she latched onto the wood, pulled herself up onto it, looked back at him. Her eyes caught his, and as the water (_so cold_) washed over him, blanketing him in a thousand stabbing prodding knives, he kept his eyes on hers.

…oo0oo…

**A/N**: So I need to explain why I had Sev die the way he did. Since he is generally portrayed as a very cynical/pessimistic person, I figured that after thinking through their situation he would realize how little a chance they had of surviving. He would assume the worst (that they all die). And while he may act like a surly and negative little bugger, he really is a good person on the inside, which is why he went with his instinct and saved the kid. He let himself fall because he wanted to die on his own terms. Death by Drowning just does not seem like a Snape-like death to me.

As for Remus, he, being a reasonable person, would realize that having no strength and no life belt (James and Sirius were the only two of the group with lifebelts on), and being sick in the first place, could not end well for him. He is also pretty selfless, and it seemed fitting that he would let another live in his place.

Please don't hate me? 

By the way, there's only one more chapter and an epilogue after this. Next chapter you get to see whether it's James or Sirius who lives.


	9. the Ninth Circle, Epilogue

**A/N:** Wow, I totally forgot about this. I was looking at my profile, and I was like "Oh yeah! _Ship of_ _Dreams_! I need to finish typing that up..." So that's why it took so long for me to update. Sorry about that (but hey, moving away to college for the first time _is_ stressful enough to distract me, right?).

Chapter 9 was really short (which was probably for the best, as it's a pretty depressing chapter), so I decided to tack on the Epilogue at the end of it instead of putting it in a tenth chapter. So now the story's done.

Also, deepest apologies to momiji'ssunusedhalo.

**Summary: **It's 1912 and there's a new ship sailing on the ocean: the R.M.S. Titanic. Lily Evans boards the ship as a first-class passenger, as does her betrothed James Potter and his best friend Sirius Black. Meanwhile, Remus Lupin and Severus Snape languish in third class. When the two groups meet and befriend each other, societal subcultures clash, internal battles are wrought, and numerous pranks are played on unsuspecting and unprepared first-class passengers. But no one is prepared for the iceberg that looms ahead...

**...oo0oo...**

**Chapter 9:**

**The Ninth Circle**

He couldn't break through. His hand caught an ankle and he tried to use the leg to climb up, but then the leg kicked out and caught his nose. His glasses were gone, probably crushed, but right now what mattered was that he needed to _breathe_; and the water was packed with too many people, all swimming and floundering and pushing him down whenever he tried to reach the surface, but dammit, he needed air. _Now_. He needed air to live, so he could see his Lilykins again (had he told her he loved her before he left? He couldn't remember); after all, how could his Lilyblossom marry him if he was dead? So he fought, clawing and struggling until he realized that he couldn't feel anything and even though he was willing his arms to move they weren't doing anything, and that even his lungs had gone numb and why weren't his bleeding hands _working_ and was it getting darker and he needed to see Lily because there were so many things he hadn't told her...

xoxoxoxoxoxo

Sputtering and retching, Sirius collapsed onto the dresser. It tilted dangerously with his weight, but at the moment he simply couldn't bring himself to care. His throat- hell, his entire _body_- was on ice-cold fire. He managed to lift his head and look around. "James?" His voice was a scratchy whisper. "Remus?" His only answer was a great wail that seemed to swell from the ocean itself. It was the sound of death, of hopelessness and despair and everything else that was wrong in the world, and it rose through the air like some terrible song of mourning.

Someone else had climbed onto the dresser, but Sirius ignored him. "They're alright," he murmured to himself. "They're alive."

He wiggled his fingers and smiled a little- he could still feel them.

xoxoxoxoxoxo

"No! We cannot go back! They'll kill us!" The woman wrung her handkerchief and looked pleadingly at the Quartermaster.

"Are you mad?" cried another lady. "We can't leave them to die!" The Quartermaster sent another nervous glance toward the shrieking mass of quickly dying people.

_Oh, sod it_, thought Lily angrily, and in a flash of desperation tinged with rage she lunged toward the nearest oar and seized it, knocking back the woman who had been rowing. Everyone in the boat stared at the redhead.

"We must go back. Those are people we know. Those are your _husbands_ out there, your _sons_." Lily directed the 'sons' part at Mrs. Potter. "And you'd leave them to die, simply because your too afraid and too selfish to go back?!" Lily's heated proclamation was met first with shocked stares, then a general murmur of assent rumbled through the tiny boat. Lily gripped her oar and began to row. It was only then that she realized that the shrieking had died down to mere groans and sobs. She rowed faster, her shoulders beginning to burn sharply even as her hands felt like they were freezing to the oar handle.

By the time they reached the massive huddle of floating people, the air was silent. Nothing moved except for the oars sweeping slowly through the water. The Quartermaster took out a headlight, shone it over the water, and when the white beam hit the first face, Lily gasped. Not because it was a person she recognized, but because of pure shock; the man's face was stark white, and eyes frozen wide, lips crusted with ice, one hand poised to clutch the straps of his lifebelt.

As they entered the sea of people, the oars began to hit frozen flesh. Lily winced with each dull _thud_ and did her best to keep her oar from whacking any dead people, but had little success; there were too many dead, bobbing silently in the water, ice crystallizing on their hair, eyelashes, lips. Most of them had their eyes open, staring glassily ahead. The majority of faces were twisted into expressions of terror or fear. None of the faces were familiar to Lily.

Looking at the people, searching their faces for either familiarity or signs of life, Lily was reminded of a book she had read a few years ago. It was about a poet's journey through Hell, which consisted of nine circles. The ninth circle, the last and deepest one, was where Lucifer resided, and all the sinners there were frozen eternally in ice. _Just like tonight_, thought Lily morosely. _This is Hell_.

Her oar clipped one of the frozen men, and she gently pushed him out of the oar's path. Hands numb, she continued rowing.

It was only the next day, on the rescue ship the _Carpathia_, that she saw him. She was so unused to seeing his face in a grim expression that she nearly missed him. She had never been so happy to see his aristocratically arrogant face, and flung herself to him with a cry. He smiled at her- a haunted smile, but a smile nonetheless. "Oh, Sirius! I saw your name on the list of survivors, but I didn't believe it at first." She paused, unsure of how to continue what she had been about to say. "...I didn't see the others, though. James, Remus..." Sirius shook his head, and Lily silenced herself, even though she longed to ask when he'd been rescued.

They sat, wordless and unmoving, on the _Carpathia_'s deck until the Statue of Liberty appeared, her gold flame piercing the sky and windless sky.

They had made it to America.

**Xoxoxoxoxoxo**

**Epilogue**

Lily stared first at the postbox, then at the letter in her hand. It was addressed to her parents; no doubt they were worried about her. The letter assured them of her wellbeing, but now Lily wasn't sure whether she wanted to send it. She fully planned on living an independent life in America and she 

knew her parents would be disgraced by it. After a moment of indecision, Lily pocketed the letter, then turned and made her way to the train station.

She was going West now. New York City was too dirty, too crowded, and she'd stayed there for too long. For two months, actually, getting registered and receiving papers and working odd jobs to get money, since she'd lost everything in the sinking. She didn't know where Sirius had got off to; she'd last seen him at the port, after the _Carpathia_ docked. They had said goodbye and had promised to locate each other when they'd gotten settle down, a promise they both knew would not be kept. Seeing Sirius would remind her too much of the sinking...it was still painful to think about. It probably always would be.

She sighed and set her carpetbag on the empty chair next to her. Maybe she'd post the letter later. Or perhaps she'd simply burn it, let her parents and Petunia think she'd perished in those bleak waters. _I should have_, she thought, then shook her head clear. Now was not a time to be getting depressed about surviving when all those other innocent people (about 1500 of them) had died. No, now was a time to focus on future prospects.

A clanging bell and a whistle announced the arrival of her train, and Lily picked up her bag and took her ticket from her coat pocket. A man passes by her, a tall man with dark unruly hair, and Lily started before she caught sight of his face. It wasn't James_. Of course not, you dolt_. Still, for a moment she had felt hope that the survivor's list was mistaken and her friends had all lived. On occasion she thought she saw their faces, but she would always look closer and realized the men didn't look like her friends at all.

She sighed and stepped onto the train, handing her ticket to the conductor before seating herself. Hugging her coat close around her, Lily leaned her head against the window. The coat was a man's, and therefore was too large, and the collar tickled her nose. She didn't fix it- the coat still smelled like James. Instead she closed her eyes, settled deeper into the coat's woolen folds, and was soon asleep.


End file.
